Navigating Night

by Julie Leung

A girl guides her dad on his route delivering Chinese take-out food in this touching picture book -- written by an APALA award winner and illustrated by a Caldecott Honor winner -- that celebrates the unique bond between immigrant parents and their children.

Every night, a girl must help her dad, whose English is not as good as hers, make deliveries for their small family restaurant. Sitting next to him in the car, she studies a map and gives him directions in Cantonese. She helps him get to the places he needs to go.

She hates doing this, though. Hates carrying grease-stained boxes of Mongolian beef and moo goo gai pan to customers' doors. Hates being different from the kids behind these doors. Why can't her family be normal like everyone else’s?

But when her dad tells her about how he immigrated, all alone as a teenager, to the United States, she comes to better understand him, and appreciate how he has made her American life possible.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Immigration, Food, Childrens, Asian American, History

Audible Audio

First published March 10, 2026

About the author

JULIE LEUNG is an award-winning author of numerous children’s books. Her picture book, The Truth About Dragons is a Caldecott Honor and winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. By day, she works in book publishing. She was raised in the sleepy suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia, though it may be more accurate to say she grew up in Oz and came of age in Middle-earth.

Reviews

[Evalynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art in this book is gorgeous. The independent bookstore I work at had been sent a collection of prints from upcoming storybooks to be released this spring, and Navigating Night had been one of them. As someone who grew up in the Northeast, I could feel the cold of the night and the rain depicted in the picture. 🌧 After reading more about the story, I pre-ordered this book immediately. I have no regrets. It is phenomenally beautiful and touching.

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a very informative book about a Chinese family who owns a restaurant. The father speaks a little or no English, and it is important for his daughter to go with him to make deliveries from the restaurant. She looks at a map and directs him to the correct house. She wishes that she did not have to do this because she wants to be like the other little girls. One night her father shares his life when he was growing up and suddenly she feels much better about her life. I think this is an important book for children to read to know how others live and why they may be different from each other.

[Stephanie ((Strazzybooks)) · Rating 5 out of 5]

a sweet and touching story about an immigration experience

[Helen Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I love about the new picture book, NAVIGATING NIGHT, by Julie Leung, illustrated by Angie Kang, is the story almost entirely takes place in a car on a rainy night. Reminded me of certain in-between school and home times when my children were younger and the car felt so cozy. In NAVIGATING NIGHT a young girl spends her evenings helping her father navigate the streets of their town as they deliver dinners from their Chinese restaurant.

“ Our first stop is one of our regular customers. When we arrive, an old lady with a cat greets us. She orders the same meal every time: beef and broccoli cooked extra soft. Baba puts the bag on her table, then hands her a small bottle with a blue label...

“My dad wants to give you this oil for your pain” I translate. The lady smiles at us and says thank you. “What a good kid you are, helping your dad.”

But I don’t want to be a good kid. I want to be a normal kid.”

She tells her father that she doesn’t want to go on deliveries any more, that other kids don’t have to do this. Her father begins to talk about when he was young and getting on a plane by himself and coming to New York City. With every delivery they make we watch them understand each other more. Angie Kang’s illustrations create the inside the car feeling and the rainy night becomes part of the narrative. At the beginning of their deliveries it is dark and very rainy, there’s tension in the car then. When the final delivery is made, we see the moon breaking through the clouds and the rain has stopped.

“Baba and I have learned to navigate night, down unlit roads and past unfamiliar street signs, looking for new paths ahead.

Together we find our way home.”

This book is extremely touching in both words and illustrations.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

[Bethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. Based on author’s childhood in 1990s, biggest tell that she’s using a map to navigate instead of gps. At beginning father’s dialog is in written Chinese, towards end he speaks in English. The girl doesn’t want to go along on deliveries anymore, wants to be a regular kid doing homework front of the tv. Then father tells how he got to the USA, uncle could only sponsor 1 relative. He got lost all the time and isn’t lost anymore that she is here (part he says in English)
Author dedicates story to the many children of immigrants who have to serve as helpers for parents yet they are the reason parents are here, to provide a better life for children.
Gorgeous atmospheric illustrations by 2026 Caldecott honor, case cover. Really dark and rainy at the beginning but it clears with moon coming out at the end.

[Ann Haefele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an important book about the immigration experience and how it affects the immigrants’ children. Gorgeous artwork of a rainy night compliments the little girl’s feelings about having to accompany her father while delivering food from their restaurant. She helps with translation and giving directions, but really wishes she could just be home doing normal kid things. This reminded me a bit of the book The Interpreter by Olivia Abtahi. They both show the experience of immigrants’ children helping family with American life.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author’s note in this picture book tells us that the theme is based on the author’s actual experiences with her family who ran a Chinese restaurant and made deliveries. Illustrations done on watercolor paper using gouache, crayon, watercolor, and pastels
are stunningly beautiful and depict night very well.
I know it is early in the year. but this title is on my list for the 2027 Caldecott award.

My opinion is children raised to work in their family’s business learn skills and understand concepts that prepare them to be responsible and resilient adults. Thanks for sharing your experience, Julie Lexington.

[YSBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young Chinese girl and her dad make deliveries for their restaurant on a rainy night.  But as the girl must translate for her dad–who appears to only speak Cantonese–she starts wishing she could be a “normal kid.”  Dad responds by opening up on their car rides about what brought him to America and how lost he felt until she came into his life.  Leung’s story will hit home for children of immigrant parents.  While other stories tackling this topic focus more on the child’s emotions in the situation, Leung takes the time to share the parents’ perspectives and feelings.  The text is littered with hints at the awkward line straddled for Chinese immigrants between their traditions and culture and trying to make it in the US: “Baba walks up with a tray, double-checking the order.  Large Mongolian beef / Large moo goo gai pan / Quart of egg drop soup / Pork fried rice / Four egg rolls // I follow with a big bottle of Coca-Cola tucked under my arm.”  While our young protagonist thinks being a “normal kid” (more American) will make her happier, Dad reminds her through his own stories that comfort and joy really come from home.  Leung does a wonderful job using food as a symbol of this dichotomy:  “Inside, our family is waiting around a pot of oxtail stew.  Carrots and daikon float in a tasty broth of meat and bone.  Baba picks out the most tender pieces and puts them in my rice bowl.”  Her story is a powerful example of the very line concluding this book: “Together we find our way home.”

Kang’s illustrations, rendered in gouache, crayon, colored pencil, and pastel on watercolor paper, are the perfect pairing for this tale of deep emotions.  The people are illustrated with deep lines and a child-like simplicity, while objects surrounding them have less clarity such as the delivery bags and book pages, thus highlighting our protagonist’s focus on the people around her and whether or not they connect.  The only object that stands out with deep detail is the map our little girl reads to direct her dad through the night (even though she gets lost herself at one point).  This powerful visual metaphor reinforces the theme of navigating the world together despite their different experiences.  Kang also does a gorgeous job painting rain, with the two-page spread of the girl looking through her rainy car window an illustration that made me stop and stare for a while.  The artist clearly put a lot of thought into her work, and even includes a note at the end of the book asking readers to notice that the rain lets up as the girl and her dad resolve their conflict and draw closer together.  This book is a truly stunning addition to the world of picture books. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This evocative picture book gives off the same vibes as the equally powerful titles, A Different Pond by Bao Phi and Watercress by Andrea Wang. All three are seemingly simple stories, yet they pack surprising emotional punches and reveal much about family relationships and journeys. In this particular one, a girl spends her evenings helping her father navigate the streets of their town as they deliver food from their Chinese restaurant. As they make various stops, her resentment grows as she feels slightly embarrassed by his reliance on her and wants to be like other youngsters and not bear this huge responsibility. While some customers are kind and generous, not all are. When Baba tells her how he came to live in the United States, she has a different perspective on their nightly journeys. The language used to tell this story is lyrical, moving, gentle, and oh, so relatable, attesting to how simple actions mean everything and show how much love a parent has for a child. For instance, as they join the rest of the family to eat oxtail stew, he "picks out the most tender pieces and puts them in my rice bowl" (unpaged). The illustrations are a perfect accompaniment for this story, created in gouache, crayon, colored pencil, and pastel as well as table salt for texture. There are a variety of colorful panels, larger blocks of art, and some splendid double-page spreads, going from dark and dreary to lighter and more hopeful over the course of the night. Many youngsters will see themselves and their families in this story. I loved it.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A girl and her father drive through a rainy night delivering Chinese takeout orders. She holds the map and helps direct him while he carefully guides the car through unfamiliar streets and stormy weather. Embarrassed by helping with deliveries, she finally admits her feelings, prompting her father to share the story of how he came to America after the Cultural Revolution and learned to navigate an entirely new world.

The artwork is the true standout here, atmospheric and deeply expressive. I will admit I am always a sucker for a picture book set in the rain, and this one uses weather beautifully to mirror both emotional distance and connection. What lingers most is the interaction between father and daughter. When she tells him she wants a different life, he gently reminds her of everything he has had to navigate, first from China to the United States and then through everyday life without fully knowing the language. In turn, he helps her understand how important she is to him, not just as his daughter, but as the person who helps him navigate the world around him.

The story thoughtfully captures the different hardships faced by immigrants and their children, showing how both generations carry their own struggles, expectations, and forms of loneliness. It is a quiet, reflective picture book with emotional depth and a strong sense of atmosphere. While I think it is beautifully crafted and thematically rich, I am less certain about its broad student appeal compared to more dynamic or immediately engaging picture books.

[Roben · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young girl serves as navigator for her immigrant father as they make deliveries from their Chinese restaurant. Set in the 1990s, there is no GPS so the girl must use a street map to locate where they need to go. She yearns for a normal life and complains to her Baba. He tells her a little about his own history of traveling from China which helps her understand how invaluable her help is. Both author and illustrator notes at the end shed additional light on this very personal story.

This book has definite Caldecott potential - the illustrations are breathtaking. Plus the weather an pictures mirror the mood of the young girl. Lots of storming at the beginning but then, at the end, the clouds part and the moon shines through.
Peek under the dust jacket - the cover of the book is different.

[Kiera Beddes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young Chinese American girl helps her immigrant father navigate the roads at night as they deliver take-out orders from their Chinese restaurant. As they drive around town, her father shares his experiences coming to America as a teenager & the little girl comes to better understand the sacrifices her father went through for her and their family.

It's not often that a picture book makes me cry, but this one did. Both the author and illustrator made a note in the back of the book detailing how their own experiences influenced this work, which made it all the more touching. I think this is an important picture book to have in your classroom library because of how it humanizes the immigrant experience, for this young girl and also for the reader. I found it to be full of heart and a text that could pair very nicely with any other immigrant/refugee experience.

[Tina Hoggatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a perfect pairing of the author and the illustrator Angie Kang, especially since they share a background, as they write about in the author and illustrator statements in the back matter. A beautiful book about the shared experience between immigrant father and first generation daughter as they deliver food from the family's Chinese restaurant. Subtly showing pride in the daughter's job of navigator, rebellion at having to take this role as well as that of translator, shame in front of a customer her own age, and anger at the role, the author navigates the feelings between father and daughter. His pragmatic need, sharing of his childhood story to help her understand, and tenderness at their return home make a loving space that will resonate with all but especially with children of immigrants playing this same role in different ways. Angie King can do no wrong IMHO.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on author Julie Leung's family experiences and beautifully illustrated by Angie Kang, Navigating Night tells the story of a daughter and father who work together in the family business which is a Chinese restaurant. The book focuses on how the pair gather the orders and delivers them to people's home throughout the night. Set before GPS, we see how the daughter finds and guides directions as her father drives around the town. When she tires of navigating the night and wishes for a more normal life, her father shares his immigration story from his childhood that helps her understands his background and need for her. It reminds readers that immigrant children often serve multiple roles in helping their families find success in their new country.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kang has evoked the look of rain-smeared windows using table salt! That is very cool. The illustrations are very good. But the story has a couple of issues:

1. All I could think at first was "why aren't they using GPS?" Then I understood it was not contemporary because the dad had lived in China back on "a night that darkened an entire nation."

2. However, if I were going to read this to my students, I lack the historical background to explain what that night was. In fact, I'm not even sure what to Google. Kang's illustrator's note refers to the Cultural Revolution and the Red Guard, so I guess those are the key words. But the target audience will be lost.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the illustration in this book about a daughter who helps her father make food deliveries. It was such a well done story about how children of immigrants sometimes also become their parents translators and helpers because of the language barrier. Also how the parents made journeys, that sometimes were scary, to get to a better place for their families future. I think many kids will relate to this book, and love how it's dedicated to anyone who can relate to the little girl.

[Elena L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

NAVIGATING NIGHT by Julie Leung is about a Chinese girl who helps her dad deliver take-out food for their family restaurant. The story is reflective and relies on the process - the textured art delivers the poignancy while the author exposes homeland, immigration and love. Based on the author's experiences, there's much kindness and vulnerability in the pages and ultimately, this is about finding our way home.

[ gifted by the publisher ]

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautiful picture book follows a young girl and her father as they spend their evenings making deliveries for the family’s Chinese restaurant. It poignantly captures her yearning to be a "normal" kid—a feeling familiar to many children who carry adult responsibilities early. Through a moving conversation with her father, she begins to see their work through a new lens, discovering the deeper purpose behind her contribution.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations accompany this heartwarming story of a young girl who helps her father deliver food from their restaurant. The girl is in charge of using a map to help direct her father to the different addresses. She feels frustrated that she has to help him with this because "other kids don't have to do this." Her father tells her about his experience leaving his country and what it was like to come to America.

[Bookworm4Life · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gentle read about a young girl and how she helps her father with making deliveries for their family restaurant. While the girl feels embarrassed about having to help her father with navigation he tells her about growing up during a time of war and how he traveled to America to make a better life. This book will speak to all families who have ever faced the hardships of living in a new country.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just ridiculously amazing. I absolutely love the story - it's honest, it's real, there's love, there's impatience, there's a realization. And it's based on a true story! The art, oh my gosh, this is giving Caldecott vibes. The illustrator describes her process a bit in the back, and it is so enlightening. Give this book all the awards.

[Shoshanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a beautiful book! This picture book tells the story of a girl who helps her dad delivery food from their family restaurant. The girl is resentful of the lives of those whose kids don't have to work, but her father shows her how much she is appreciated and in the end the whole family had dinner together.

[Meaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give it 20 stars I would. The story is heartwarming, powerful, and carries a message kids will understand and adults need to hear. The art is stunning! I will keeping an eye out for more of their work. I know it’s early in the year but this may be my favorite of the year.

[Alara Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gosh this book is beautiful. It feels hauntingly familiar, a snapshot of angst in youth amongst the misunderstood generation of before. It touches upon the famine in result of the Great Leap Forward campaign. It inspired a conversation about China’s history afterward with my kids.

[Dylan Teut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Profoundly moving and touching.

[D · Rating 3 out of 5]

3+

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story about a girl whose parents are immigrants and how she has to live her life because of those circumstances, wishing she was living a normal girl life.

[Oxalis · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the story is heartwarming, I checked it out of the library for the artwork, which I love very much. The views of the rainy night through a car window set the scene perfectly.

[Robin Berman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young girl goes with her father to deliver Chinese food from their restaurant.
While they drive around, he tells her about how he immigrated to NYC alone, telling her how he got lost.
He then tells her she prevents him from getting lost.

[Laurel Zeisler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story and pretty illustrations.